Therapy for Health Issues and Chronic Illness

Comprehensive Therapy Services for Health Issues and Chronic Illness in Seattle

A yellow stethoscope on a pink background with yellow and white pills next to it.

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You’ve historically found pride in your abilities, but now they’re changing, and you struggle to accept this new reality. You can no longer do the same things you used to do. You wonder what will happen if your symptoms get worse. You’re tired, lonely and feel like most people can’t understand what you’re experiencing. Having to deal with appointments, doctors, procedures, it leaves you feeling depleted. It feels like taking care of yourself is a full-time job. At times you feel anxious, stuck, angry, misunderstood, and agitated. You wonder why other people don’t have to deal with the same things and envy the ease in which they walk through life.

Most friends and family struggle to talk about your challenges. You either end up comforting them, or they say stupid things. You’d love to talk about your experience without worrying about the other person’s needs. You don’t want to come off as a burden or seeking attention. You worry doctors won’t take you seriously. You’ve lost some trust in yourself after being questioned by providers and having to advocate for yourself. You dream of a world where you can stand up for yourself in an effective way.

I help clients dealing with the health challenges, including chronic illness, injury, or challenging diagnosis, build foundations of support, acceptance, and peace. I help people navigate the emotional roller coaster that comes with coping with health issues. I help people like you build concrete skills to promote psychological flexibility, mental resilience, and confidence. I can help you heal trust within yourself, build on your strengths, and create committed action plans to work towards fulfillment of your goals. I continue to work on myself to promote fat-positive, gender inclusive, anti-racist care. I am here to walk alongside you during your journey. I don’t do toxic positivity–that’s not helpful. I can offer 13 years of working with clients of all different abilities as well as unique empathy having been the patient time after time.

If you’re looking tired of being misunderstood and minimized, reach out and schedule a free consultation today. Together, we can work on building psychological resiliency, self advocacy, and hope.

 

Psychological Effects of Health Issues or Chronic Illness

 

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  • Depression

  • Anxiety

  • Trauma

  • Obsessions

  • Isolation

  • Fear

  • Lack of trust in self or others

  • Grief

  • Anger

  • Discrimination

  • Oppression

  • Dealing with Ableism/Internalized Ableism

  • Burnout

  • Relational Strain

Signs It’s Time to Start Therapy for Health Issues or Chronic Illness

  • You’re feeling isolated due to your condition or diagnosis

  • You recently received a new diagnosis

  • You’ve recently started a new treatment

  • You’re anxious about appointments and procedures

  • You’re grieving your past abilities or adjusting to your new ones

  • Your condition(s) are impacting your relationships

  • You avoid certain situations

  • You feel dismissed by the medical system

  • You’re avoiding treatment

  • You fear or resent your body

  • A loved one is coping with a diagnosis

  • You’re caring for a friend or family member with a health issue or chronic illness

 

Medical Misogyny

I adore this quote by Dr. Jen Gunter (author of The Vagina Bible and The Menopause Manifesto), referring to the lack of accurate knowledge women receive about their bodies. She says, “This information vacuum has been created by a toxic combination of medical providers being unable to meet the educational needs of their patients (medicine has some serious communication issues) and medical misogyny, meaning medicine’s long history of neglecting women.” One of my specialities is working with women dealing with the medical system and navigating the structural misogyny that often impacts care. I also work from a Health At Ever Size® perspective and work to create a safe space for all bodies including superfat and infinifat folks. Look at how I incorporate HAES® principles into my work in this blog post: Reflections from a Medical Trauma Therapist: New Health At Every Size® Principles and Framework of Care.

Questions About Therapy for Health Issues and Chronic Illness in Seattle

 
 

  • Over the years, as a therapist in Seattle and the greater Western Washington area, I’ve been lucky to work with a wide variety of clients from different backgrounds. As a Certified Perinatal Mental Health Therapist I work with many people struggling with reproductive health challenges such as endometriosis, fibroids, pelvic floor issues, menstruation challenges, abortion, infertility, pregnancy loss, and menopause. I’ve worked with clients managing conditions like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, pots, IBS, Crohn’s, Lyme disease, diabetes, migraines, mobility challenges, high risk pregnancy, amputations, heart disease, gynecological issues, neurological disorders, degenerative diseases, and cancer. I also have experience in preparing clients for surgeries, procedures, and practicing self advocacy in medical settings.

  • One of the ultimate things you can’t fully control is your health. You can positively influence it, but your genetic and environmental card deck will ultimately decide what health issues you deal with during your lifetime. Therapy can help you accept the things you can’t control, identify your values, and learn to manage mental/emotional/physical pain that can impact your quality of life. Therapy can help you optimize your good days and manage the bad. This space can also help you deal with the secondary implication from coping with health concerns such as your relationships, your job, identify issues and more. Services can also help you prepare for a procedure or surgery that you’re nervous about.

  • As a seasoned therapist, I’ve had the ability to work with a wide variety of clients ranging from a variety of backgrounds, abilities, locations, cultures, socio-economic backgrounds and families. Through doing so, I’ve assessed where passions and talents are most helpful. Using my systemic, contextual lens and therapeutic theories such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Feminist Therapy and others, I help people like you navigate life’s inevitable challenges. I bring a unique perspective as a person who’s been intimately involved in the medical system as a patient throughout my life and lives with multiple chronic health conditions.

  • I commonly work with family members and loved ones of people facing health challenges or chronic illness. Being a spouse, a parent, an adult child or friend, chances are you’ll help someone face a difficult health challenge during your life. It’s hard living in a human body, and it’s also hard to watch someone you care for suffering. When you hold space for others, you inherently give a part of yourself which can be draining over time. You may also be the person navigating scheduling appointments, billing, managing care, supplies, and more. You deserve support just as much as the person going through the medical challenges.

  • I often see the best outcomes for clients when their care team is able to communicate with one another. Of course, you have a right to privacy and if you don’t want this collaboration, that is your choice. I find it can be helpful to have open communication between providers. I can also work to help adovocate for your needs when appropriate. I am not a doctor or nurse and cannot give treatment guidance or recommendations for physical healthcare.

  • When appropriate, it can be beneficial for me to attend an appointment, procedure, or surgery with you. Reach out to discuss this service.

  • The most common chronic illnesses according to the CDC are heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. For women, it’s cardiovascular disease.

  • Check out this blog post: A Comprehensive Guide to Therapy for Health Issues and Chronic Illness in Seattle.

  • Yes. Health anxiety can be an issue unto itself, but it can also be a response to medical trauma. Either way, I can help you build strategies to reduce anxiety, build resiliency and tackle care you may have been avoiding.

  • As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I come from a System’s background. This means that I see clients in a non-pathological, non-normative way within their context. Your context is created through your environment, your culture, your relationships and more. Understanding you as a unique person, including what your relationship is with your body and how you want it to be exist in a complex world, not in a vacuum. A systemic view helps us work for lasting change and wellbeing.

  • Check out this blog post: Therapy for Health Issues and Chronic Illness in Seattle: My Health Journey

  • There are multiple modalities that work well with such issues. I utilize Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in much of my work, along with Narrative Therapy and Mindfulness based strategies. ACT focuses on identifying what you can and cannot influence, increasing psychological flexibility and centering action born out of your values.

  • I am not an eating disorder specialist. That said, many of my clients have disordered eating patterns, poor relationships with food and their bodies. This is a common theme addressed in therapy. If you are experiencing a significant eating disorder and need treatment, I can provide appropriate referrals.

 

Getting support for dealing with your own health challenges or supporting someone you love is just one click away. Schedule your free therapy consultation today.

Want to learn more about Chelsea? My work focuses on individuals and families dealing with anxiety, grief, and medical trauma, with a special focus on infertility, pregnancy loss, menopause, and health issues.